My 6th grader is in need of more chapter books, particularly chapter book series in the adventure/fantasy and realistic fiction genres. I’ve picked books for her and I’ll report back on which ones she wants me to buy.

I keep hearing how Middle School is all about socialization and that is a complex world for girls. I was grateful for these books to cross my path — three are from publishers and one from my child’s book club — because they shine a light through this three year minefield. Some of these characters actually are in bands, but they all rock. Hard. In their own way. And isn’t that what we all want for our girls as they round this next corner?

Thank you to all my readers! I really appreciate you coming to my blog. Please let me know what topics are of interest to you and I will post on them. I also love getting requests for book recommendations. Just email me with your child’s age, interests and favorite authors and books and I’d be happy to research a personal list for you and post on it! I was excited to triple my page views this past year — my second full year of blogging.

These are my Top 10 Booklists. Did you know that I actually put my favorite book as #1 and my second favorite book as #10? I wasn’t sure if people would read the lists as a countdown from 10 to 1 or as a list from 1 to 10. The #10 spot also is the first book that you see, so I wanted to make sure it was an enticing one.

The 2011 National Book Award Winners for Young Adult (YA) Literature: Chime, My Name is Not Easy, Inside Out and Back Again, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy, Shine, and Okay for Now.

I wasn’t familiar with this award though I do know about the Simon Wissenthal Museum from living in Los Angeles. My art teacher had a piece exhibited there and he said that it was the highlight of his career. I went through the past winner list and I haven’t read all the books, but the ones I have read (Though My Eyes, The Year of Miss Agnes, So Far from the Sea) are OUTSTANDING so it makes me want to read the entire list of winners, both past and present.